This is an amazing story from the blog labeled Carb Loader. It the story of a sub 3 marathon from the open corral in Chicago in 2006!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Advice from Coach Greg -- IVS
As I get VERY close indeed to the Chicago Marathon I am in the final phases of my training. Tonight (Thurs) I plan on 5-6 mile of running with 20 minutes of it at GMP. Friday is an easy recovery day. Saturday, I plan on conservatively racing the Zoo Run Run, Glen Oak Park in Peoria IL. It's a 5k. Sunday will be an 11 miler with 3 at pace.
And Coach Greg's advice for the 5k and the big day:
"... the 5K of Saturday should be as even as possible with a conservative 1st mile and pickup last mile look at 6:10's for 2 mile than push for whateveryou can get. In the marathon, remember to work off of 4 mile average splits. It’s best to pace off a sizeable chunk than to try to pace off each mile. The most important split is the 12-16 one. It is critical for you to be running your goal pace during this segment (or a bit faster). Don't wait till mile 22 to find your inner strength. At 22 you may feel too strong an urge to back off then it will be tough to get back on pace and to stay on pace. Remember to focus on the 12-16 mile split. I believe with what you ran at the IVS half you will be able to accomplish your objective. Your best chance will come if you average your splits each 4 miles. You will get there. Don't change thursdays workout that I sent. Run well on Sat."
The coach has spoken......
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Mayfly Update
Tuesday I ran for the first time in my Nike Mayfly's. The shoe seems to provide ample cushion but I noticed my sole was slipping a bit on the shoes inner padding. This could be a because the upper has very little mass. I was afraid to really tighten my laces. The upper is made from the same material that parachutes are made. It's probably stronger than I think. I ran about 8 miles on a trail that used to be a railroad route. The path is covered with a fine crushed rock. I didn't feel all that spry as I wasn't fully recovered from my long run on Sunday. I've been having some shin irritation on the inside of my right shin and suspect it is related to the intense week I had last week and especially the 10k race I did on Saturday followed by a 23 mile long run at 7:30 pace on Sunday.
I had my stride analyzed before the Boston Marathon last year at the expo and was told that I was a neutral gated runner but had a slight very late stage pronation. I am flat footed. I am going to hold off on my judgment of the shoe until after my next long run on Sunday.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Nike Mayfly First Impressions
Ok. I admit it. I've been spending more time at UPS.com tracking my new shoes coming in than I have been working. Finally, my Nike Mayfly's arrived! I put them on while I was getting dinner ready. First impressions are good. They are certainly light. Aesthetically, they have to be just about the ugliest shoe on the planet and to be honest, I kind of like that part. My concern is will they hold up to the rigors of the marathon? Only time will tell. I am running my first run in them tonight. My fallback shoe is my Adidas Addistar Mana.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Race Day Advice (Humor)
Race Day Advice:
1. Eat a HUGE breakfast before your race so you will have plenty of fuel for the day!
2. Don’t drink too much the day before the race. It will only make you have to pee.
3. Wear a bikini or better yet, a Speedo even if it is 20 degrees outside.
4. Get to the race corral early! It’s good to be the first one in. That way you can be assured of being right up front. One hour before the corrals open is a good rule of thumb. Do a 1 or 2 mile all out sprint 20 minutes before the race begins. In this way your muscles will get used to the idea of rapid movement and you will be more likely to place high in the race.
5. To avoid getting too cold before the start. Do some jumping jacks and push ups. It really psyches out the competition to see a middle age man crank out 50 push ups right before the start! I usually get a couple of "Whoa...Take is Easy Big Guy!" comments when I am cranking out the j-jacks in a crowded corral!
6. Wear track spikes (The sound you make on the pavement….intimidating). -OR-
7. Buy a new pair of shoes for race day (forget the above comment)! Regardless of what you train in, visit the booth of the major footwear sponsor and buy THEIR shoe! After all, they spent a ton of money to sponsor this race. The least you can do is wear their shoes. If you place high enough you will be ensured a sponsorship. Here’s another (sub tip): save weight and shave seconds by not wearing socks.
8. Body glide is for wimps.
9. At mile 2, stop in the in the middle of the road and stretch. Stretching is important and staying in the middle makes it more difficult for others to get around you. Never forget it's a race. Everyone else is the enemy. They are bad people.
10. Sing the songs on your ipod out loud! This way others can find motivation from your music too.
11. If someone tries to pass you, try to float back and forth on the road to block his/her way (tip: don’t look too obvious). Imagine you are a squirrel in traffic! Act like you didn’t mean to.
12. If you can’t block them, subtly trip any runner that makes it around you. You're not going fast, so why should they?
13. No matter how your muscles feel, keep running fast. Pick it up early so you can bank some minutes. You’ll need em’ later when you begin to fade.
14. Shave time by racing through the water stops. This is an excellent opportunity to pass those you didn't trip as they slow down to drink.
15. Always run with the largest crowd. (forget the tripping stuff above) This way you will never be alone and you can talk with more people. People WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE THINKING even if they don't really seem friendly. Try just STOPPING UNEXPECTEDLY (hilarious).
16. Constantly change speeds to keep from getting too bored. Surging ahead (don't forget to zig-zag) every so often helps to keep people out of your way and keeps you alert and fresh. Try doing an all out 10-20 second burst (you can even do this with your eyes closed) every 5 minutes or so, then walk until you catch your breath.
17. When the going gets tough, just quit going -- no one will care. You have trained and worked hard for this day but so what. Marathons are not supposed to hurt they are supposed to be fun!
1. Eat a HUGE breakfast before your race so you will have plenty of fuel for the day!
2. Don’t drink too much the day before the race. It will only make you have to pee.
3. Wear a bikini or better yet, a Speedo even if it is 20 degrees outside.
4. Get to the race corral early! It’s good to be the first one in. That way you can be assured of being right up front. One hour before the corrals open is a good rule of thumb. Do a 1 or 2 mile all out sprint 20 minutes before the race begins. In this way your muscles will get used to the idea of rapid movement and you will be more likely to place high in the race.
5. To avoid getting too cold before the start. Do some jumping jacks and push ups. It really psyches out the competition to see a middle age man crank out 50 push ups right before the start! I usually get a couple of "Whoa...Take is Easy Big Guy!" comments when I am cranking out the j-jacks in a crowded corral!
6. Wear track spikes (The sound you make on the pavement….intimidating). -OR-
7. Buy a new pair of shoes for race day (forget the above comment)! Regardless of what you train in, visit the booth of the major footwear sponsor and buy THEIR shoe! After all, they spent a ton of money to sponsor this race. The least you can do is wear their shoes. If you place high enough you will be ensured a sponsorship. Here’s another (sub tip): save weight and shave seconds by not wearing socks.
8. Body glide is for wimps.
9. At mile 2, stop in the in the middle of the road and stretch. Stretching is important and staying in the middle makes it more difficult for others to get around you. Never forget it's a race. Everyone else is the enemy. They are bad people.
10. Sing the songs on your ipod out loud! This way others can find motivation from your music too.
11. If someone tries to pass you, try to float back and forth on the road to block his/her way (tip: don’t look too obvious). Imagine you are a squirrel in traffic! Act like you didn’t mean to.
12. If you can’t block them, subtly trip any runner that makes it around you. You're not going fast, so why should they?
13. No matter how your muscles feel, keep running fast. Pick it up early so you can bank some minutes. You’ll need em’ later when you begin to fade.
14. Shave time by racing through the water stops. This is an excellent opportunity to pass those you didn't trip as they slow down to drink.
15. Always run with the largest crowd. (forget the tripping stuff above) This way you will never be alone and you can talk with more people. People WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE THINKING even if they don't really seem friendly. Try just STOPPING UNEXPECTEDLY (hilarious).
16. Constantly change speeds to keep from getting too bored. Surging ahead (don't forget to zig-zag) every so often helps to keep people out of your way and keeps you alert and fresh. Try doing an all out 10-20 second burst (you can even do this with your eyes closed) every 5 minutes or so, then walk until you catch your breath.
17. When the going gets tough, just quit going -- no one will care. You have trained and worked hard for this day but so what. Marathons are not supposed to hurt they are supposed to be fun!
Getting Read for The Big Day! (Pre-Race Advice Humor)
Pre-Marathon Advice:
1. First, register late, without a clear picture of what you are doing or why. Just know deep down inside that you've done this before, and it will work out ok - somehow! Don't make reservations at the race site in advance, and leave your travel plans to chance - and to the last minute. It will all work out in the end.
2. The week before your run, see if you can find a nice "tune-up" race, the longer the better (15k to half marathon). It is a great confidence builder to feel the wind blow through your (thinning) hair as you gallop madly down the road in that somewhat shorter but much faster, final tune up run!
3. Test your preparedness through the final week by doing some semi-long tempo sessions. Again, these are great affirmations of your superb conditioning. And you need to know that! I like distances of 10-12 miles.
4. Since a good portion of the marathon training that we have been doing is supposed to condition our bodies to burn fat during the marathon, "fuel up" for the big race by eating every meal the week before at either McDonald's, Burger King, or Culver's. I've even heard that Burger King has a 2 for $3 special going on their Whoppers right now. I can't think of a better pre race meal...
5. (On the other hand) there are many experts who encourage fasting for 2 or 3 days before the race. You don't want to be hauling around a bunch of unnecessary weight for 26 miles. Thinner is better, just look at the elites. And since fasting depresses appetite after a few days, you won't get hungry during the race, or even afterward. Consuming nothing but water and thin broth also will ensure you are fully hydrated. Combining the "runner's high" with the "faster's high" ensures peak performance and out-of-body experience.
6. At the expo, plan on spending the whole day! It’s a big show with LOT’s to see and do. The more stuff you buy and carry (treasures in beach combing parlance) the better. Walking around will help to keep the legs limber and work out some of that soreness from those tempo runs!
7. At the end of the day - now two days from your big event - eat hot dogs and sauerkraut for your carbo-loading dinner.
8. After the expo, go see the sites! Go to a museum and walk around. Most marathons are held in big cities. It’s a great opportunity to get some culture.
9. Sleep in your car with your family the night before the race (I told you it would all work out).
10. If you can run one mile you can run 2. If you can run 2 you can 4, and if you can run 4 you can run 6. And so on . . . if you can run 20 you can run 26.2. So, as long as you can run a mile you are set. Time to taper.
11. If you can run a 10-minute mile you can run 9:00. If you can run 9 you can run 8:30, etc. Thus, if you can run 6:45 you can run 6:30. And since we all know training pace is magically 2 minutes per mile slower than race pace, you can run 4:30 pace for the marathon and set a world record. All through the power of logic and positive thinking.
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